Helsby RC Racings News 22nd – 28th June 2015

Welcome to this week’s racing news. Please remember to send your race reports to:
helsby-race-reports@outlook.com
otherwise we don’t know about them. If you’re at a race/ event then please decide amongst you who will put together the report as if we’re not there then we won’t know 🙂 There wasn’t much in the post bag this week and I’m pretty sure more has been going on. If it is missed then please let us know and we’ll either update the blog or we’ll include it in the next racing newsletter.
CBH.
Fells This weekend sees the SLMM (Saunders Lakeland Mountain marathon), Moel Siabod (one for Fitzy?) Skiddaw and the Langdale Gala Next weekend boasts Wasdale, Tal y Fan (NW Counter) and the Bollington Nostalgia.
Road: This weekend – Frodsham Downhill race (I think Colin T is the defending champion having beaten my sons)
Next week – Thurs = Gro Continental relays Nantwich (speak to Captains Colin T/ Jane A),
Sunday = Road Counter – Chirk Castle Half Marathon. Monday 6th = Border League Planning – 7:30-8:30 with Vanessa and Chris Fitzpatrick
Fell Running  Ras Pedol Cwm Pennant
Technically last week, but I’ve been away 🙂 This race has only been going three years, yet it was a Welsh championship counter last year and will be a British Championships counter next year; I think that tells you how special this race really is.
Max had a hangover and Phil R was working his way up to one so just two Helsby vests toed the line. The run out to Moel Hebog and the slog to the summit quickly turned into 20m visibility at best and some rather inefficient lines to the top. I packed in with some Eryri runners, one of whom lived just 10 miles away from the start. It added a good 25 minutes to my summit time from the previous year due to none of us knowing where we were going. Jackie had similar luck.
The running was still spectacular and particularly dramatic when the cloud lifted to reveal the most beautiful of landscapes. Jackie packed in with two other runners and thoroughly enjoyed her trip around. Arriving at the 3-4k road section at the end I was still grinning from ear to ear despite being 35 minutes behind my previous time. Cakes, showers and a cystal clear view of the mountains awaited us at the finish – one I’ll certainly be back for next year.
CBH – 17th – 3:47:54
Jackie – 27th – 5:22:50
Foel Fras
Tim Palmer clearly not content with his exertions in Kentmere decided to take in Foel Fras too. A lovely little race and easy to get to. Tim takes up the story: Jim Jones and I were the Green Army representatives for the Foel Fras fell race on Saturday. This was 12 miles and 3000ft of climb if you believe the fell race calendars although my Garmin suggests 12.8 miles and 3200 feet. Excellent race with all you expect from a fell race: long climbs, stunning views, path less terrain, navigation issues, friendly atmosphere, lots of tea and flapjacks, … The race results are awaited; the Helsby times are: Jim Jones 2:18 Tim Palmer 2:32 Excellent work Fellsby! Trails & Ultras Kentmere Trail race (10K) Tim and Jenny Palmer have been at it again in the Lakes. Sounds like a cracking series and maybe one even our tarmac lovers could enjoy! Well done to both of you. Here’s Tim with the details:
Jenny and I did yet another Lakeland Trails race this weekend. As usual lovely scenery and atmosphere, quite fast as the major ascents were on tarmac – country lanes. A big plus as far as Jenny and I were concerned is that it starts and finishes with a few hundred metres if Wilfs – excellent for pre race brews and post race lunch. As usual for these races, 10k turns into 11.5k…
Tim – 17th (2nd Vet 50) – 59:32
Jenny – 158th – 1:19:50
Lakes 10 Peaks
Ahh, too many races and not enough body… this is one I’m pretty keen on taking on but couldn’t be in two places at once. Here’s our resident Ultra lover Andy Robinson with details of his exploits:
The Clif Bar Lakes 10 Peaks race on Saturday.  45 miles, 18000 feet of climbing, including the 10 highest peaks in the Lakes.
Just over 100 runners started the “Long” race, including me.  65 finished.  The winner was Ross Litherland of Pennine Fell Runners, in 10:46:17, & I came in 18th in 15:14:35.  I was first MV60 – actually I was the only MV60 to finish.  I’m still absolutely knackered 2 days after finishing, but I’ll get a race report up on Runfurther.com in the next day or two.
Pretty outstanding running there Andy!
The Dragon’s Back Race
Ok, so I wasn’t racing it this time, but I was marshaling; specifically on the control team thus I got to run my own mini dragon in order to put out the dibber boxes (controls) for the competitors.
This is the third running of the legendary Dragon’s back – a 5 day 200 mile race across the mountainous spine of God’s own country. 50,000ft of ascent is covered and the vast majority is rough going underfoot and pathless. If you know your way around, get lucky or think like a sheep then you can hit a trod, but if you don’t then places like the beautiful Rhinogs can be very unforgiving environments.
Having done the race in 2012 I very much wanted to support and enable others to take on this incredible challenge and route. For me this meant I had a day 0 and a day 6 in order to put out and take in the controls. Our control team included Wendy Dodds and Helen Whitaker (nee Diamantides) was there to narrate the video shorts that put this race out to the world. It was a truly slick event which included live GPS tracking and daily videos to keep facebook and twitter alive following the race Check out the videos here if you missed them: http://www.dragonsbackrace.com/news/  and here for me taking in the Crib Goch Control (before I got there I spotted either Chris Fitz or Jimmy out on the ridge, not sure which can you help?)
What an incredible week it was. All I saw were heroes, controls, bogs, tussocks, gnarly rocks, and unspoilt beauty in both human spirit and landscape. What a race this is, it strips every one of them down to their most raw self and shifts the horizons of all involved. To watch that unfold and be a part of it was amazing and so nice to give back to a sport I love. If any of you are thinking of marshaling then I thoroughly recommend you put yourself forward to help at the races you love, the organisers will always be grateful of help.
In the end Jim Mann took the win followed by the Jasmin Paris in second overall. Both were utterly formidable. I know Jim from various adventures; he’s a quiet hero and as close to selfless as it gets, I was over the moon to see the huge amount of effort he put into this race pay off with a win.
Park Run
Nice to see plenty of Helsby vest out on the various park run courses. Fantastic little events that guarentee you improved times elsewhere. Why not put it into your weekly training plan?
Results here:
 
Summer Handicap
No report and I wasn’t there so sorry for the lack of detail, but from what I can see it is the biggest turn out ever for a summer handicap! Inspiring stuff! No doubt a good time was had by all. Well done to Neil as first male and Nikki as first female – of course this means that Phil will ensure you never win again unless you take a minute per mile off your current speed, but you enter the pantheons of Helsby RC and that my friends, lives with you forever! Thanks and a big well done to Phil Gillard for putting it on

Times

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